University employers apologise for misleading comments

University employers were today forced to apologise "unreservedly" to a House of Commons committee for making misleading comments to the media after an inquiry last week.

In an embarrassing development in the bitter lecturers' pay dispute, the Universities and Colleges Employers' Association (Ucea) was hauled back before the education select committee to explain its actions after last Wednesday's hearing.

Ucea claimed in a press release that the committee was backing employers in the worsening pay battle. Its statement, issued immediately after the hearing, claimed that the committee had joined it in calling for all members of the two lecturers' unions to be balloted to gauge the mood of academics across the country.

The chairman of the committee, Labour MP Barry Sheerman, today told the chairman of Ucea, Geoffrey Copland, and its chief executive, Jocelyn Prudence, that he was "astonished and hurt" that employers had tried to drag the committee into the dispute.

He said the committee had called the urgent hearing last week with the best intentions and had hoped the hearing would help the dispute reach a resolution. Instead, Ucea breached the privileges of the Commons, he said.

The Association of University Teachers (AUT) and the lecturers' union Natfhe are refusing to mark students work until their demands for a 23% pay increase over three years are met. The AUT is also refusing to set exams. Ucea has offered 12.6% over the same period, but the unions have rejected the offer.

Yesterday, the unions and employers spent all day in pay talks at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). They will meet again tomorrow morning.

Mr Sheerman said one of the committee members had "pushed the unions quite hard" over the issue of balloting members, but that did not mean the committee was supporting Ucea. Rather, it was simply a process of the inquiry, he said.

Dr Copland, who was quoted in last week's press release, said he apologised unreservedly and claimed the mistake happened in the "flurry of activity" after the hearing. Ms Prudence then defended Dr Copland, and said she was responsible for the statement.

She said: "I take responsibility for the press release. Geoffrey didn't even see it.

Mr Sheerman told Dr Copland and Ms Prudence: "You had to get your hit in first," and questioned why Dr Copland would allow a press release quoting him to be issued without his approval. Dr Copland said he had faith in Ms Prudence's judgment.

Mr Sheerman accepted Ucea's apology, but warned the employers never to repeat the mistake.

He said: "We wish you well in resolving this dispute. Please go away and get on with the job."